Overview
Discover the full impact of Viking civilization—from fierce warriors to skilled merchants and explorers—in this 36-lecture masterclass by an award-winning historian.
Course No. 3910
This digitally remastered classic course reveals how Norse culture transformed medieval Europe through raids, trade, and settlement from Russia to North America.
Course Content
Origins & Society
- The Vikings in Medieval History (31 min)
- Separating myth from reality through archaeology
- Land of the Vikings (30 min)
- How Scandinavia’s harsh landscape shaped Norse culture
- Norse Gods & Legends (31 min)
- Odin, Thor, and the Viking worldview
- Viking Art & Poetry (30 min)
- Runes, sagas, and intricate craftsmanship
Expansion & Conquest
- Viking Ships: Engineering Marvels (31 min)
- The technology that enabled global exploration
- Raids on England & France (31 min)
- From Lindisfarne to the Siege of Paris
- The Danelaw (31 min)
- How Vikings permanently changed England
- Founding of Normandy (31 min)
- Rollo’s descendants would conquer England
Global Reach
- Iceland: Viking Democracy (31 min)
- The world’s first parliamentary government
- Vinland: Vikings in America (32 min)
- The doomed North American settlements
- Swedish Vikings in Russia (30 min)
- How the Rus shaped early Russian states
- Varangian Guards of Byzantium (30 min)
- Norse mercenaries in Constantinople
Transformation & Legacy
- Cnut the Great’s Empire (32 min)
- When a Viking ruled England and Denmark
- Christianization of Scandinavia (31 min)
- How faith replaced Norse paganism
- From Raiders to Crusaders (31 min)
- The Viking Age’s surprising conclusion
- Enduring Viking Influence (34 min)
- How Norse culture shaped medieval Europe

